A post by a young man who was preparing for the UPSC exam sparked a strong emotional response online. This 26-year-old former postgraduate student sold his years of study materials and books for only 464 rupees to a scrap dealer.
This candidate, who graduated from university in 2022, dedicated about four to five years to preparing for the UPSC exam, which is considered one of the most difficult in the country. He took the UPSC Mains exam three times—in 2023, 2024, and 2025—but failed to pass even the first stage, the preliminary selection.
After a series of disappointments and dissatisfaction, he made a firm decision to end this path forever. In his post, he shared that he handed over all his study materials to the scrap dealer, including NCERT books, M. Lakshmikant, initial test papers, and handwritten notes created over the years.
He noted that to an outsider, it was just a pile of old books, but for him, it represented accumulated effort, including answers written at 4 AM, countless mock tests, and analytical sheets he was proud of.
The price of this dream was not limited to just the books. The young man reported that after graduating in 2022, he turned down a high-paying job offer because he was completely convinced of his dream of UPSC. Now, people either mock him for this decision or show pity. Furthermore, during this difficult and exhausting process, he lost a relationship that lasted four years.
After all the ups and downs, the scrap dealer valued all his work based on weight. For years of hard work, he was paid only 464 rupees. Someone standing nearby observed that if he had haggled a bit, he might have received up to 600 rupees. However, the young man's response clearly demonstrated his pain and broken spirit. He wrote that what he expected from the books was not received, and he did not care whether he got 100 or 200 rupees more or less.
Instead of keeping these 464 rupees, the young man donated them to a nearby temple. He clearly stated that this donation was not made for merit, luck, or another attempt. He emphasized: 'There is no 'next time'.' Expressing his sorrow and pain before God, he concluded: 'I just wanted to tell the Almighty that despite all this, my heart is bigger than Yours.'